Tablet-machine



E. L. RICHARDS.

TABLET MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED novfla, 1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 HHEETS-BHEET 1.

-WITNESSES M71 M i ATTORNEY UE NORRIS PETERS CU" FHOTO-LITHQ.WASHINGTON. D C

E. L. RICHARDS. TABLET MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 13, 1913.

1,105,838. P n ed Aug. 4, 1914 4 SHEETS8HBET 2.

THH

WITNESSES A TTORNEY HE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON. l1,

244w BY mil. %w 0 4 B. L. RICHARDS.

TABLET MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1913.

1,105,838. Pa ented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V mmnnmmu? ATTORNEY E. L. RICHARDS.

TABLET MACHINE. APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 1a, 1013.

1,105,838. Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 SHEBTSSHEBT 4.

INVENTOR WITNESSES gn M1 M12:

A TTORNEY E1 lint" AES PATENT FFIC:

TABLET-MACHINE.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, .EMANUEL L. ltrcrr ARDS,a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and Iuseful Improvements in Tablet-Machines, of which thefollowing; is a specification.

My inventionhas relation to certain improvements in a machine forcompressing granular or powdered materials into different size tabletsand freeing loose matter from the formed tablets during their delivery,for which U. S. Letters Patent No. 686,7 were granted under date ofNovember 19th, 1901; and my present invention particularly relates insuch type of machine, first, to mechanism to actuate upper tabletforming plunger-dies in a downward direction by apositive drawing motioninto the path of cooperating positively actuated lower plunger-diesoperating in an upward direction to complete and in a cleanly mannerdeliver the tablets and at the-same time that they are beingdischargedto freeloosc matter separated from the formed tablets during theirdischarge; second, to provide an adjustable rack and pinion means toadjust the stroke in the movements of one set of said plungendies so asthereby to vary quickly and effectively the size or thickness of thetablets to be produced; and third,to certain other details inconstructive arrangement of the machine as to further improve itsworking as well as the character of the product obtained, as hereinaftermore fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

My inventib'nstated in general terms, consisting of a tablet machine,will be more fully understoodfrom the followingdescription taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in whichFigure 1, is a front elevation of a machine with the upper plunger headshown in central section and with the divided receiving receptacle forloose matter and formed tablets, removed; the said machine as soillustrated and explained, embodying essential main features of mypresent invention. Fig. 2, is a side elevational view looking from theleft in Fig. 1, showing certain parts thereof,

in section and also showing the supported divided receptacle for loosematter and compressed tablets. Fig. 3, is a vertical central section onthe line 00, w, of Fig. 1, showing,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 13, 1913.

Patented Au. 4,1914.

Serial No. 800,719.

more in detail, the power driven mechanisms to respectively, operate theupper plungerdies downward by a positive drawing motion into the path ofcooperating positively actuated lower plunger-dies in an upwarddirection and controlled by an adjustable rack and pinion means of themechanism actuating said lower plunger-dies. Fig. 4, isa plan view,partly in section, showing general and particular detail arrangements ofparts of the said machine. Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation of themaindrive shaft on the line 1 y, of Fig. 1, showing the operating camfor controlling the movement of the lower plungcndies, the operatedreciprocatingfeed-slide and the eccentric means for controlling thepositive action of the upper plungel dies in cooperation with the lowerof said plunger-dies; and Fig. 6, is an elewhen in broken section of thefeed-slide in an operatlve position and the upper and lower plunger-diesin respectively, the positions occupied by them during feeding of matterto the perforated die-block of the machine. 1

Referring to the drawings, a, is a standard having. bolted thereto aslitted discharge chute a, located above a divided trough or receptaclea supported from a bracket a", projectingfrom the standard a, and whichreceptacle by means of an adjusting screw bolt (14, holds the same inwhatever required adjusted position desired, below the slitted dischargechute a 7), is a feedihoppen for powdered or gran ular material having aflexible tube 6 connected therewithand with a feed-slide b which latteris mounted in a guide a secured to the top of the standard a, as clearlyshown inFiig. 2. This slide is connected with a link I), and the latterwith a link 6 and it in turn with a lever-arm b loosely mounted on arotary shaft 6. Aclamp b, is keyed to the said shaft above the leverarm21*. This clamp is provided at one end.

with adjusting bolts 6 and b", bearing against said lever-arm as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and i, to thereby permit of change in position of thesaid lever-arm and as well as variably alter the position of saidfeed-slide b, for complete discharges of both formed tablets and loosematter from the feed-slide guide-way a, of the machine through the chutea, into the partitioned adjustably supported trough a of the machine.The rotary shaft b, is operatedby a rocking-arm b carrying a roller Z2actuated by a cam Z2 mounted on the main drive shaft 0. The roller I),is held against the working face of the said cam 6 by a rod b, mountedin a bearing Z). The rod Z2 carries a coiled spring 5 and a nut b withwhich bearing and nut, the respective extremities of the spring 6 are incontact.

o", is a locking-lever pivoted to the standard a, andprovided withtightening nut 5 This lever is provided for locking the slide 6 in itsforward position, when the machine is at rest, so that therebyextraneous matter may be excluded from the perforated dieblock 6, atsuch time.

The main shaft 0, 1s provided at one extremity with a gear 0 meshingwith a pinion 0 on a shaft 0 of the standard-a, as

teeth of a pinione carried at the lower end' clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3and 4. The shaft 0 has secured thereto fixed and loose pulleys c andGland on one of them as shown is a belt a, and a belt-shifting device 0connected therewith. This device 0 extends from a bracket a secured tothe standard (11. j

The said belt-shifting device 0 comprises a hand-hold 0 with a rod 0carrying at its rear end a crank 0 having a pm 0 operating in a slot 0of a movable blockc secured to the rods 0 and 0 vone of these rodscarries at its outer end a rod 0 having a loop a, through which the belttravels. By turning the hand-hold 0 the rod 0 is revolved to cause thepin 0, to move to the right as in Fig; 4, and thus to shift the block 0and parts connected therewith, whereby the belt can be readily shiftedfrom the fast pulleyo to the loose pulley 0 or vice versa. On the saidmain. shaft 0,, centrally thereof, is secured an eccentric (Z, carryinga pillow block al the arm 6?, of which is pivoted at, d to alongitudinal rocking arm (Z journaled in the rear lower portion of thestandard a, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. On the pivot (Z is secured links(Z and d", the upper end of which are pivoted to vertical plunger rods0Z and 03 held in bearings a and a of the standard a, as clearly shownin Fig. 1. On the upper ends of the said rods al and (Z is mounted theupper head d", for a series of plunger-dies d The main shaft 0, hassecured thereto outside of the standard a, thecam 6 operating by aroller 6 carried by one end of a bell crank-lever c journaled at e,-to abracket 6 projecting from the standard a, and the opposite end of thesaid bell crank-lever 6 is provided with gear-teeth e, meshinghwith of arod a This rod at the opposite end is in pivotal connection with a crossrocking arm 6 journaled to a floating pivot 6 supported by, links 6 to ashaft 6 This shaft is journaled to a bracket 6 in the. upper part of thestandard a. The opposite end of the rocking arm 6'", is in pivotalconparts of the machine, it being only necessary to stop the machinelong enough to effect the required change of adjustment of the rack e,and pinion e Directly below the lower plunger-head e, is provided anadjustable bufier 6 to relieve shock or strain on the working parts thatactuate the respective plunger-dies,fto which subject, in the ordinaryoperation of the machine. I

The mode of operation of the machine as hereinbefore described will nowbe exj plained. The first step in the operation is to feed thepulverized or granular material through the hopper b, to the slide '5 todeposit a definite quantity of the material into result thecam Z), onthe main driven shaft 0, is started by the shifting of the belt 0 ontothefast pulley c, to set in action the said shaft 0. By the operation ofthe cam 6 the roller 6, ridingon the face of the feed block 6 to shiftit back and forth in its guide a over the plunger die-block b, and tothereby deposit-a certain. definite quantity of material thereinto forbeing subsequently acted upon ,byboth sets of plunger-dies d and 6 incooperating to compress the said material so deposited into theparticular size or thickness of tablet required. Thefront edge of thesaid slide. 6?, serves in its forward shifting action in the guide a tofree the formed tablets as well as loose matter in the tabletingseparated from each other from the machine, the formed tablets beingdeposited along the slitted chute a dropping into. the dividedreceptacle or trough a and away from the deposited loose the perforateddie-blockc, and to effect such matter deposited through the slits ofsaid chute into anotherdivision of the same.

In order to control the required thickness or size of tablet to beformed,'the.rack c, and pinion 6 must be adjusted to the required degreej and this accomplished by simply looseningthe lock-bolt e, and .by

means of the hand-wheel e 5, jshifting the pinion along the rack 6 toeither lengthen or shorten the stroke movements of the lowerplunger-head e Thebuifer e may be adjusted either up or down tocompensate for such change in the stroke of the said plunger-head .5 andby such adjustment relieving undue shock or strain on the lever arms 6and e", and cross-head or rock ing arm 6. Motion is imparted to theseseveral members by the roller e operating against the working face ofthe cam e on the main shaft 0, of the machine.

The upper plunger head 03, is operated in an up and down direction by adirect action through the connecting rods d and (Z and links d and (Zpivotally connected with the shaft 01, carried by the arm (Z ,of thepillow block al eccentrically mounted on said main shaft 0, wherebythrough the pushing action of the said eccentric d, on its block d, thepositive and powerful direct action thereby of the upper plunger-diesonto the material to be acted upon, thereby effects a far better productand a much more cleanly and symmetrical type of tablet. The pivotallysupported longitudinal lever arm (i movably supported on the shaft d,serves to maintain the links 01 and (Z and the rods cl and d always intrue vertical aliningposition for action. Through the said coiiperativepositive action of both sets of plunger-dies, in unison, after the fedmaterial by means of the slide block 6 has delivered its requlred quotaof such material onto and into the perforated die-blook c, it will bequickly and efficiently then compressed by the said dies into therequired size or thickness of tablet.

The machine, it should be borne in mind, will be so timed as thatsuccessive movements of the feed slide 6 and plunger-dies (Z and 6 willsuccessively o erate to accomplish the above defined ob ects and afterthe plunger-dies free themselves from formed tablets, the slide block 6will free the tablets aided by the lower series of plun-a ger-dies 6 aswell as free all loose matter accumulating from the formed tablets intothe divided adjustable trough a for then pursuing similar operations ofthe machine, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described. the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, two sets of cooperatingplunger-dies, a main shaft carrying a mechanism connected positivelywith one set of said dies and actuated in a downward direction by apositive draw motion, a cam mounted on said shaft andoperated thereby,sald cam actuatlng lntermeintermediate mechanism, a guideway and,

feed-slide therefor, said slide connected by pivoted links with alever-arm loosely mounted on said rotary shaft, a clamp keyed to saidrotary shaft and provided with adjusting bolts bearing against saidlever-arm to change the position of said arm and there by to variablyalter the position of said feedslide for complete discharges of bothformed tablets as well as loose matter from said guide-way,substantially as and for the'purpose described.

2. In a machine of the character described, two sets of cooperatingplunger-dies, a main shaft carrying a mechanism connected positivelywith one set of said dies and actuated in a downward direction by apositive draw motion, a cam also carried on said shaft and operatedtherebyl and said cam actuating intermediate mec anism having a rack andpinion connected adjustably with the other set of said dies, said rackand pinion adapted to permit of quick change of movement of said dies,and another cam mounted on said shaft, arotary shaft actuated by saidcam through intermediate mechanism, a guideway and feed-slide therefor,said slide connected by pivoted links with a lever-arm loosely mountedon said rotary shaft, a clamp keyed to said rotary shaft and providedwith adjusting bolts bearing against said leverarm to change theposition of said arm and thereby to variably alter the position of saidfeed-slide for complete discharges of both formed tablets as well asloose matter from said guide-way, and a pivoted locking de viceadjustably support-ed and provided with tightening means, whereby saidfeed-slide is adapted to be locked in one position thereof, to excludeextraneous matterfrom the die-block of the machine, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature in the presence ofthe two subscribing witnesses.

EMANUEL L. RICHARDS.

WVitnesses:

THOMAS M. SMITH, I'IELEN S; Hour.

Copies of thin patentmey be obtained for he cents eaoh,by nddx-enin: theCommissioner at Patents, Washington, D. G.

